


Dominion's Pool

by scuttlingclaws



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Seisen no Keifu | Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War
Genre: Canon? What Canon?, F/M, no beta we die like sigurd, relationship isn't the focus but it's still there
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2020-04-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:54:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23518006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scuttlingclaws/pseuds/scuttlingclaws
Summary: After receiving a gift, Julius's life was never the same.
Relationships: Ishtar/Yurius | Julius
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	Dominion's Pool

Possession felt like water, Julius decided. It wasn't painful like the scary stories and books he read as a child had lead him to believe; rather, it felt like he was floating on his back in an endless pool. When he stayed still, it felt as though there was nothing and he was levitating, but when he moved he could feel the telltale resistance of liquid around him. Sometimes he was close to the surface, able to poke his head above the waves to take in big gulps of air. Other times he was deep, so deep that the pressure made his ears ring and his head hurt. The deeper he was, the harder it was to maintain his focus on what exactly Loptous was doing with his body. It became choppy, as though he were looking at the flip book of a valiant knight slaying a dragon and rescuing the princess that his mother used to love showing to him and Julia.

Mother...

The day she died, no, the day _he_ _killed_ _her_ was difficult to recall, not only because of his grief and horror at the event, but also because of how fuzzy it was; the glimpses he got were refracted by the water of Loptous's dominion over him. His last clear memory of that day was Manfroy, his father's adviser, kneeling before him as he sat at the dinner table with the rest of his family.

"A gift for the young prince," he said, holding the tome to his master's son, "as celebration for your upcoming marriage."

Julius offered him a nervous smile. There was something in the back of his mind screaming, telling him not to take the black tome from Manfroy's hand, but he did so hate to be rude. He reached for it, and the moment his fingertips brushed the elaborate embroidered cover of the tome he was in pain. He fell from his chair, his back crashing against the cold tiles of Belhalla, and he squirmed and writhed like a fish out of water.

What he remembered most clearly was the taste. As he struggled, resisting whatever it was that had suddenly overcome him, thick, black bile poured from his lips as he coughed and and sputtered in his struggle to breathe. The bile pooled on the floor around him as the pungent taste lingered on his tongue, imprinting in his memory.

From there it was a blur. He could hear his father yelling at Manfroy, demanding to know what he did to his son, his mother and sister screaming, and Manfroy laughing. He could only watch in horror as whatever was in that book took control of his body, killing his mother with his own two hands as he pleaded and cried. He thrashed about in the water, but the more he moved the deeper he sank and the more control he lost.

_NO DESCENDANT OF NAGA SHALL LIVE._

He was grateful, at least, that Julia had escaped with her life.

He found that the most peaceful times, where he could lift his head above the surface and have some control over his own body, was when he was with his fiancée. Ishtar still treated him so kindly, more compassionately than he deserved, despite everything that Loptous had done with him. Julius laid in bed and watched her as she brushed her hair at her vanity, lingering below the surface. Suddenly, he found himself near the surface, desperately clawing at the air above him and gasped. He filled his lungs with air and the scent of Ishtar's perfume filled his nostrils.

Her hairbrush clattered to the floor as she rushed to his side.

"Oh, Julius. My Julius," she cooed at him, stroking his face. The sound of her voice was more beautiful than the song of any bird in Grannvale, he thought. "There you are, my love." She kissed him, cutting through the foul taste of possession. That was the first thing he always craved when he came back; she tasted so sweet - like the iced lavender tea cakes he devoured while his mother urged him to _please_ try to leave some for his sister.

"Ishtar....Ishtar...." Tears streamed down the prince's face. He could feel Loptous's disdain for him but he didn't care, not at all. Not while Ishtar was here to wipe and kiss his tears away. The air felt so, so wonderful but he was so used to being without it.

_PATHETIC WEAKLING. TO THINK YOU HUMANS BELIEVED YOU COULD HAVE DOMINION OVER US? I AM A GOD, AND YOU ARE NOTHING._

He felt Loptous's claws dig back into him, dragging him back down beneath the surface. Every time he emerged it seemed like there was less and less time he could spend treading water, and that it was becoming less and less frequent. He sank again, reaching out towards his love.

She spoke again, but Julius could barely make out what she was saying as his ears filled.

 _YOU WILL NEVER BE RID OF ME_.

**Author's Note:**

> Isn't dominion such a good word? Also yes I love Julius/Ishtar and no I will never stop writing shid for them xoxo  
> Come hang out with me on Twitter @juliusvelthomer


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